The Pentagon has suggested punishing Madrid for blocking bases and airspace during the war on Iran, according to an internal email cited by the outlet
The US is allegedly weighing unprecedented measures to punish NATO members it believes failed to support its war against Iran, Reuters reported on Friday, citing an internal Pentagon email. The options are said to include the possible suspension of Spain from the bloc, according to the outlet.
The document, reportedly circulating at high levels in the Department of War, expresses deep frustration with European NATO members who denied the US access to their bases and airspace during the war that started in late February, an American official familiar with the document told Reuters.
Among the measures under consideration are suspending “difficult” countries from key positions within the bloc, as well as temporarily revoking Spain’s NATO membership. While admitting that such a move would have a limited impact on US military operations, the Pentagon email argues it would carry significant symbolic weight.
However, a NATO official has stressed to the BBC that no provisions for member states to be suspended or expelled from the bloc actually exist. The only way a country can leave is by voluntarily invoking Article 13, which requires one year’s formal “notice of denunciation.”
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